Nanostructural organization of naturally occurring composites - part II: silica-chitin-based biocomposites

  • Investigations of the micro- and nanostructures and chemical composition of the sponge skeletons as examples for natural structural biocomposites are of fundamental scientific relevance. Recently, we show that some demosponges (Verongula gigantea, Aplysina sp.) and glass sponges (Farrea occa, Euplectella aspergillum) possess chitin as a component of their skeletons. The main practical approach we used for chitin isolation was based on alkali treatment of corresponding external layers of spicules sponge material with the aim of obtaining alkali-resistant compounds for detailed analysis. Here, we present a detailed study of the structural and physicochemical properties of spicules of the glass sponge Rossella fibulata. The structural similarity of chitin derived from this sponge to invertebrate alpha chitin has been confirmed by us unambiguously using physicochemical and biochemical methods. This is the first report of a silica-chitin composite biomaterial found in Rossella species. Finally, the present work includes a discussion related to strategies for the practical application of silica-chitin-based composites as biomaterials.

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Author:Hermann Ehrlich, Dorte Janussen, Paul Simon, Vasily V. Bazhenov, Nikolay P. Shapkin, Christiane Erler, Michael Mertig, René Born, Sascha Heinemann, Thomas HankeORCiDGND, Hartmut Worch, John N. Vournakis
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-246227
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1155/2008/670235
ISSN:1687-4129
ISSN:1687-4110
Parent Title (English):Journal of nanomaterials
Publisher:Hindawi Publ.
Place of publication:New York, NY
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2012/06/01
Year of first Publication:2008
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2012/06/01
Volume:2008
Issue:Article ID 670235
Page Number:8
HeBIS-PPN:306797097
Institutes:Angeschlossene und kooperierende Institutionen / Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 3.0